Resurrected & Reignited (Dabi/Touya Todoroki x Reader)

Part XVIII: Red-Handed

Love. Amid all of the chaos, this was the last thing on your mind. Or, at least, it should have been. It would certainly be safe to say that most people in your situation wouldn't give much thought to the concept of romance, and yet, here you were: clinging to your childhood crush like the injured puppy you were. It was borderline pathetic. Some "highly-trained special ops soldier" you were. Your mind had been clouded in the thickest fog all because of your feelings for one boy. You didn't care one bit, though. Perhaps it was naive, but this new emotion left an excited nervousness in you.

The two of you reached the bottom of the stairs, and Touya began to lead you down another hallway. This house really was huge; all these long corridors made the place feel like a museum. You found yourself wondering again what it might have been like to be here with Touya as kids. Perhaps the two of you would have played together in the lush courtyard after training, or shared meals in the dining space. No doubt you'd have hurt yourself back then, too, and Touya would likely still have to patch you up. It was a bittersweet imagination, but you were lost in it nonetheless. That is, until a distant sound startled you out of your daydream. Your head shot up, and you immediately began scanning your surroundings. Your eyes landed on the stairs behind you. It sounded like it came from upstairs. From where you'd just been.

"What was that?" You asked, now on high alert.

"What, that thud? Probably just the wind knocking something down outside." Touya replied nonchalantly. Your friend's cool demeanor did little to calm your nerves. You tightened your grip around his hand.

"I'm... pretty sure it came from up there." You insisted, still glaring at the steps. It was clear the noise had put you on edge again. Touya gave your hand a light squeeze as he tried to soothe your fears.

"Listen, I know all the noises of this house. If anything sounds off, I'll know. If that happens, we'll bail. Promise."

'Promise.' It wasn't a word Touya used lightly- you'd known that since you were kids. Even if he couldn't honor his pledge fully, he always did everything in his power to make sure it went unbroken. Even now, through all of the craziness, he was working to keep a promise he'd made over a decade ago. Despite his villainous status, his track record with you was golden. You never doubted him before, and you surely weren't going to start now. Your trust in him was unbreakable. With a half-hearted nod, you relented.

"Alright."

The two of you continued down the hall, passing multiple rooms on your way. It was surprising just how plain-looking the house was, given its size and overall fancy exterior. A warm, trickling liquid passed over your top lip and dripped onto the wooden floor. You used your free hand to bring the hem of your shirt up to your steadily-bleeding nose, saturating the fabric further with a dark red. Your head was still spinning halfway down the hall. Without Touya's help you felt you'd have had a hard time walking straight. Concussions were always a bit of a bitch for you. They'd harshly impact your ability to use quirk, making it harder for you to guide objects. The dizziness came in waves, ebbing before washing completely over you once more. You released your shirt from your grip, and used your hand to steady yourself against a door to your right.

"Are you alright?" Touya asked, clearly concerned about your sudden faltering. You didn't respond.

"Here, lean on me." He moved closer, wrapping his arm around your torso. You swung your arm over his shoulders and allowed him to take on some of your weight. In truth, the pain wasn't that bad. You'd experienced much worse in your line of work, but the caring attention it earned you from Touya wasn't something you were willing to give up at the moment. So, while you would normally brush it off and refuse help, you chose to stay silent. Besides, with your new revelation, you weren't in the best headspace to argue. You'd felt adolescent puppy-love toward Touya in the past. Those late nights in the program- you always did relish the time you'd get to spend with him. Of course, you were close with Keigo, too, but something about the fiery boy just hit different.